Trinity Academy Akroydon Nursery Review

Storytelling, early number work and outdoor exploration give Trinity Academy Akroydon’s early years provision its character. The nursery belongs to the primary academy on Rawson Street North in Boothtown, Halifax, placing early learning within a school setting.

Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Outstanding at the inspection on 11 and 12 October 2023. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating. The useful detail lies in children’s language and their understanding of numbers.

Play and adult-led learning sit alongside one another in the early years curriculum. Phonics, early mathematics, art and outdoor exploration are part of the offer. This gives children different ways to engage: investigating through play as well as learning with an adult.

Language has substance here. In October 2023, early years children explored The Gingerbread Man using vocabulary including accelerate and mocking. Children developed increasingly mature speech, helping them approach reading confidently. Number learning was similarly practical: children connected numbers with physical objects and showed quantities in different ways. The emphasis was on understanding what a number means.

Outdoor learning spaces give early years children opportunities to explore nature and practise physical skills through practical activity. Learning about the local area also helped children understand the past and make sense of the order of events. Books extend learning into family life: from Nursery onwards, children are encouraged to take reading books home, with parents contributing to a shared reading record. That creates a concrete link between learning here and time together at home.

An early years practitioner team delivers the curriculum. Alongside that team, the academy’s wider support structure includes a SENCo, a child protection officer and two pastoral workers. These staff work with teachers, meet parents and involve outside agencies, giving families routes into support beyond the classroom.

The academy aims to include children with additional needs fully in school life and to plan support with families. Parents’ and children’s views form part of that process. For families considering accessibility, the school occupies four levels, with marked steps, quiet classroom areas and some carpeting. Those physical details matter when considering a child’s sensory or mobility needs.

Reception admission is separate. Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place and gives no priority under the September 2027 admission criteria. Families must make a fresh online application through Calderdale’s coordinated admissions route between November 2026 and 15 January 2027.

Support for changing settings is a separate matter. For children with SEND, the trust’s transition arrangements include contact with preschool staff, individual visits before transfer and information from families and outside agencies. The purpose is to carry knowledge of a child’s needs into the next setting.

Enquiries go to the academy office on 01422 351 291 or contactus@akroydon.trinitymat.org. Academy tours can be booked through the school, allowing families to see the setting before making a decision. The office can also direct an enquiry to the SENCo or another relevant member of staff.